October 26 – Passing Through the Fire of God
Our Lord God is a consuming fire and his power is infinite. He consumes infinitely, burning with great vehemence, and transforming into himself all he touches. St John of the Cross
Gregg’s Reflection
As I grow older, I think more often about what will last and what will not. So much of what I once invested my energy in—work, recognition, projects, possessions—will not cross over. The older I get, the clearer it becomes: death strips away the nonessential. What remains is not what I have accomplished, but who I have become in Christ.
John of the Cross described God as a consuming fire. That image might sound frightening, but he meant it as good news. God’s fire does not destroy the soul but purifies it, burning away the dross so that only what is of God remains. Death, in this light, is not something to fear but something to welcome, for it completes the work of grace that has already begun in us.
When I consider my own mortality, I imagine standing in that fire, watching all that is false—ego, pride, self-protection—fall away. What endures is love. What endures is mercy. What endures is the true self, hidden with Christ in God, shining more clearly than I could have imagined in this life.
Death, then, is not an end but a passage into fullness. It is the final purification, the ultimate healing, the completion of the journey toward God. And so, while I still wrestle with fear of the unknown, I also take comfort in this: the fire that awaits is the fire of Love, and it will leave me more alive than ever before.
Scripture
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29
Ancient Quotes
Our Lord God is a consuming fire and his power is infinite. He consumes infinitely, burning with great vehemence, and transforming into himself all he touches. The divine fire burns everything according to the measure of its preparation, some more, some less. It consumes not the spirit when it burns, but rather delights and deifies it.
St. John of the Cross, Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, p. 214–215
Modern Quotes
The genius of Jesus’ teaching is that he reveals that God uses tragedy, suffering, pain, betrayal, and death itself, not to wound or punish us, but to bring us to a Larger Identity: ‘Unless the single grain of wheat loses its shell, it remains just a single grain.’
Richard Rohr, CAC Morning Devotion, 4/15/20
Journaling Prompts
- What parts of your life feel like they need to be burned away in God’s purifying fire?
- How does the image of God as consuming fire comfort or challenge you?
- When you consider death, what do you hope will remain of you in God’s presence?
- How might you live today in a way that prepares you for that final transformation?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 43 Reflection: Suffering/ Death & Dying